Picket-fastening



(No Model.)

w. W. HAMILTON.

' PIGKET FASTENING.

:: .NLNIIIU v I N INVBNTON. TiroN EYs.

NITED STATES PATENT rrrcn.

WILLIAM w. HAMILTON, or LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY.

PlCKET-FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 321,717, dated July 7, 1885.

Application filed July 19, 1884.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that LWILLIAM W. HAMILTON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lexington, in the county of Fayette and State of Kentucky, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvementsin Picket-Fastenings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying draw ings, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a fence provided with my improved picketfastening. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the rail, picket, and fastening; and Fig. 3 is a view of the several parts detached.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention has relation to that class of fastenings for pickets in metallic fences in which the rails of the fence have perforations or slots for the passage of the pickets, and in which clamping pieces having tongues engaging notches in the rails are clamped upon both sides of the picket in the slots in the rail, retaining the rail firmly in position and it consists in the improved construction and combination of parts of such a fastening, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,A represents the rails of a fence, having oblong holes B at suitable distances for the reception of the pickets and fastenings.

0 represents the pickets, having notches D where they pass through the rails of the fence.

F is one of the fastenings, being of a semicylindrical shape, and having a groove, I, upon its outer portion, forming shoulders G and H, which engage with the top and bottom of the rail andkeep the fastening from slipping either up or down. Upon the inner portion of this flange, directly opposite the groove I, is a lug or projection, E, which engages with the notch 1) when the pickets are in place.

J is the other semi-cylindrical fastening,

(No model.)

having a shoulder, K, and a wedge-shaped projection, L.

In constructing a fence with my improved fasteners the posts and rails are first placed in position, with the holes B in the two rails registering with each other. The fasteningF is then placed in position and the picket O inserted, the notch D engaging with the lug E. The fastening J is then driven in upon the opposite side of the picket, and the projection L bent outwardly from the picket and upwardly against the bottom of the rail.

It will be noticed that placing the lug E opposite the groove I brings the notch D on a line with the rail of the fence, thus placing the weakest part of the picket in the most protected position. It also makes a neaterlooking fence with the same amount of metal; and by each part being semi-cylindrical the picket is entirely surrounded, and a greater bearing-surface, both above and below the rail, is secured than by any other arrangement.

It will be seen that a fence containing my improvement will have all the requisites of strength and rigidity with the least possible amount of material, and that any or all the pickets can be removed by simply straightening out the wedge-shaped projection L, and be as easily put in place again.

Iam aware that a picketfastening has been used having a lug or projection upon its inner side, above the line of the fence, and I do not claim such construction, broadly; but

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- The combination, with the rails of a picket fence having oblong holes, of pickets having notches upon one side, passing through said holes in said rails, and two clamping-pieces fitting in each of said holes around said pickets and securing them in place, one of said clamping-pieces having a groove cut around its lower outer portion, forming shoulders, which engage with the top and bottom sides of the rail, and having an inwardly-projecting lug or flange upon its inner side, directly opposite the groove upon the outer side, and engaging with the notch in the picket in a line with the rail of the fence, the other one In testimony that I claim the foregoing us of said clamping-pieces having a shoulder I my own I have hereunto affixed my signature 10 around its outer upper portion, engaging with in presence of two witnesses.

the top of the rail of the fence, and a down- 7 7 wardly-projeeting wedge-shaped lug adapted ILLIAM HAMILTON to be bent outwardly from the picket and against the bottom of the rail, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

\Vitnesses:

EDWIN FRANKLIN EVANS, Bnmlmmx Bownns WILSON. 

